The present invention generally relates to wireless communications, and in particular to an intelligent repeater and method to provide increased signaling.
Repeater technology is employed to increase the range of communication between radio communications units. A repeater can used for communications over a single operating frequency or communications between parties over differing frequencies, such as in a trunked radio communications system.
A trunked communication system generally includes a plurality of communications units, a limited number of communication resources that are transceived via one or more repeaters (or base stations) and a communication resource allocator that allocates the limited number of communication resources among the plurality of communications units. The communications units can be portable radios and/or mobile radios. Communications occurs directly between communications units or the communications is processed through a repeater. The communication resources comprise a TDM (time-division multiplexed) bus, a carrier frequency, a pair of carrier frequencies, or any other RF (radio frequency) transmission means.
Generally, trunked two-way communication systems provide mobile and portable communications units with wireless services similar to many wired communication networks. For example, a trunked system includes full-duplex telephone voice communication, two-way mobile-to-mobile group dispatch communication, and two-way mobile-to-dispatcher group dispatch communication. A typical trunked communication system site, where each different site has a different physical location, can include a number of full-duplex repeaters.
Communications between units is initiated by a calling (or initiating) unit transmitting call set up information. The call set up information identifies the recipient(s) of the transmission by corresponding identification numbers. The calling unit further sends forward channeling information, which identifies channels (or frequencies) over which the units are to communicate (typically a low bit rate communication). The call set up and forward channeling information are received at a recipient unit directly from the calling unit or through a repeater. Typically, the repeater receives and retransmits communication signals for receipt by the intended units. An undesirable consequence of using a repeater is delays between receipt of signals and their retransmission, which, in turn, causes decreased signaling in the system.